Standard disclaimer here

Adveno Machina

Synopsis: Izuku gains an affinity for technology, mechanical arms and the color red. BHNA fanfiction with minor elements from several sources.

Technology is a sacred gift, for the heavens guide our footsteps along the path of knowledge.

- START -

Midoriya Inko didn't know what to do. Her beloved son, Izuku, was four years old and still had not manifested his Quirk! She just couldn't stop worrying about him, and finally decided to set up an appointment with a Quirk specialist. Doctor Tsubasa was an expert in Quirks and Quirk-related medicine, a consultant widely known throughout Japan whose clinic was right here in Musutafu.

The doctor was an older man, almost entirely bald except for an enormous bushy moustache. He greeted them cordially, proceeding to conduct his examination of Izuku in a thorough and professional manner. Inko anxiously watched her son enthusiastically go through all manner of tests, and she couldn't help noticing the doctor's expression becoming more somber as each result came in.

Inko was almost dreading Doctor Tsubasa's diagnosis when he ushered them into a consultation room. She tried to put on a brave face for her son, who appeared to be blissfully unaware of the rather grim atmosphere surrounding the two adults. The doctor began by solemnly stating that Izuku was in perfect health, only to stop mid-sentence when her son got up to do an enthusiastic bow.

"Thank you, Tsubasa-sensei! I'm sure my Quirk will develop quickly now with your help!" Izuku said eagerly. Inko almost burst into tears at that point, despondent at her son's childish misunderstanding of the situation and his inevitable misery and disappointment.

Doctor Tsubasa frowned, clearly unsure of how to break the news gently. "I must sincerely apologize if I have misled you, Izuku-san," he grimaced. "Indeed, it is with a heavy heart that I must diagnose you as Quirkless."

Inko's worst fears had been confirmed. She numbly sat through Doctor Tsubasa's explanation on her son's second toe joint, his abnormally low Quirk Factor and lack of common genetic markers. She could tell Izuku was also dazed by the revelation, her normally excitable and curious son now quiet and subdued.

They left the clinic in silence, Izuku barely speaking a word throughout the rest of the day and immediately retreating to his room after dinner. Inko had no idea what to do, and ended up sitting with her son as he watched his idol, All Might, in a video which he must have watched a thousand times before.

"It's fine now. Why? Because I am here!" the hero declared with a thumbs up and an enormous grin, Izuku mouthing along with the words with a matching smile. Yet there was something different this time, something she hadn't seen before in his posture or expression.

"Mom," Izuku asked suddenly. "D – do you think I can still be a hero? Even w – without a Quirk?"

There wasn't anything she could do for him! Inko broke down in tears, causing her son to start crying as well. "I'm sorry, Izuku," she wailed, smothering him in a tight embrace. "It's my fault you were born without a Quirk! I'm so sorry! I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me!"

Mother and son spent the evening sobbing into each other's arms, and it was an exhausted Midoriya Inko who finally carried her son to bed that night. She went to sleep herself still in shock over the day's revelations, but was determined to see her son succeed no matter what it took.

- BREAK -

Inko had always been an early riser, yet today she was awoken by the sound of Izuku running up and down their apartment. Her son was cheering happily at the top of his voice, a complete turnaround from what had happened yesterday. She wondered what could have happened to cause this sudden change as she blearily left her bedroom.

"Izuku!" she scolded lightly, catching her exuberant son in her arms. He'd been dancing around near the refrigerator for some reason. "What's going on? Why are you up so early? What's with all the noise?"

"My Quirk, Mom!" Izuku laughed, "Tsubasa-sensei did it! My Quirk's finally arrived!"

"Your… Quirk?" Inko asked. To say she was dumbfounded would have been an understatement. "I don't understand, dear. What exactly is your Quirk?"

Izuku raised a hand in response, pointing excitedly at the microwave. The appliance was quite old and slightly temperamental, yet it responded to her son's gesture almost instantly. It chimed as it awakened from its sleep mode, then sang a cheerful tune of electronic beeps and boops. Inko watched in amazement as the microwave slowly cycled through various modes and settings she hadn't even known existed.

"You can control the microwave?" she asked incredulously. Her son proudly pointed at the television, which proceeded to turn itself on after a short delay. "The TV as well? You – you can control electronics?"

"I can control electronics!" Izuku repeated proudly.

For all Inko's uncertainty about this new development, it made her heart soar to see her son so happy after what happened yesterday. She basked in Izuku's enthusiasm, nodding along as the boy speculated endlessly on the specifics and uses of his Quirk. Lunch was a complete turnaround from the gloomy dinner of the day before, and Inko made sure to notify Dr Tsubasa of this new development.

- BREAK -

"Extraordinary! Simply extraordinary!" Dr Tsubasa exclaimed, looking much more animated than he did yesterday. Inko had called to inform him of what had happened and to set up another appointment, but Dr Tsubasa had insisted on seeing them immediately once she'd mentioned Izuku's newly manifested Quirk.

"It is very rare, but not unheard of for someone with a second toe joint to manifest a Quirk," the doctor continued, "However, this is the first time I myself have personally witnessed such a case! I simply must discover how this has happened!"

The Quirk specialist leaned down to face Izuku once again. "Now then, dear boy! I shall be putting you through another series of tests to understand precisely how your Quirk has manifested! With your permission, of course, Inko-san," he added.

"Please go ahead, sensei," Inko said immediately. Being thorough couldn't hurt, and she still sometimes had nightmares of some hidden medical issue affecting Izuku's health badly.

With her permission granted, Inko watched anxiously as the doctor subjected Izuku to a barrage of medical tests and analysis. She recognized some of them from their first consultation, but many others were completely foreign to her. They moved on to demonstrations of her son's Quirk, strange machines lighting up with different colored lights as Izuku enthusiastically interacted with a variety of bizarre lab apparatus. Eventually, mother and son once again came to be seated in the consultation room from the day before.

"This has certainly been a most fascinating case," Dr Tsubasa said cheerfully, moustache wriggling with delight. His enthusiasm had increased in leaps and bounds as they moved further into testing Izuku's Quirk. "I shall start from the basics, yes?"

He tapped quickly on his computer as the wall behind him lit up with a stylized diagram of the human body. "Now then! It has long been accepted that Quirks have a measurable effect on the human body. Changes in muscle groups, osteology, hormones and the like, all to allow an individual to use their Meta Ability. Most of these are detectable using modern technology, even if the person involved is not actively using their Quirk. Together, these root biological processes are known as an individual's Quirk Factor."

The doctor tapped on his computer again, bringing up another diagram. "These are the various measurements taken of Izuku-san's Quirk Factor, or rather his lack of it. His endocrine system, the second toe joint and other, more technical indicators all remain within the expected range for a Quirkless individual. These values have not changed since your consultation with me yesterday, although I have of course tested him thoroughly once again. By all accounts, Inko-san, your son should be Quirkless."

"I don't understand," Inko admitted, "Izuku clearly has a Quirk, doesn't he?"

Dr Tsubasa nodded, peering down at her son as he smiled through his moustache. "Indeed. Your boy appears to be one of the vanishingly few individuals whose Meta Ability does not rely on Quirk Factor at all! I'm afraid that I can only speculate as to how or the reason why! Perhaps his Quirk only uses his brain somehow – although there should still be some detectable biological signal in his body."

"In any case, I have taken the liberty of naming his Quirk 'Technopathy'," Dr Tsubasa continued. "From my tests, I believe it allows him to communicate with electronic devices within his line of sight. I have classified it as an Emitter-type Quirk. My understanding of electronics is limited, but I suspect he is able to perceive and manipulate electrons somehow, perhaps as they move through the internal circuitry of an electrical device."

"Thank you for the explanation on my son's Quirk, but has his health been affected at all by its arrival?" Inko asked apprehensively.

"Please do not worry, Inko-san," Dr Tsubasa reassured her, "Your son remains in perfect physical condition."

Inko felt as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Izuku was completely healthy, and he had a Quirk! She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted as her son got to his feet and bowed deeply towards Dr Tsubasa.

"Tsubasa-sensei, thank you for everything!" Izuku said loudly. Inko could tell he was close to breaking down with happiness and relief. "It has always been my dream to become a hero, and it is only thanks to you that I have this opportunity! Sensei, d – do you think I can become a Pro Hero, with my Quirk?"

Dr Tsubasa looked stunned for a moment. "Of course, dear boy!" he guffawed, as though the outcome had never been in doubt. "With a Quirk such as yours, I have no doubt you will grow to become a strong, powerful individual!"

Izuku really did break down at those words, sobbing quietly with tears of joy. Inko pulled him into her lap, rubbing his back gently with one hand. She bowed awkwardly as well once her son's tears had subsided. "Thank you once again, sensei," she said sincerely.

"It was no problem at all," Dr Tsubasa waved off her gratitude with a quick smile. "Please consider bringing Izuku-san in for a checkup every six months or so. I would very much like to see how his Quirk matures from here! Of course, it would also allow me to monitor his health and development," he added quickly.

"I will," Inko promised, "My son's well-being will always come first."

Inko was still smiling when she carried her worn-out son back home. Izuku had exhausted himself once again, this time with a much happier outcome than the day before. Inko took a moment to gently kiss the forehead of her sleeping son, and she later went to bed herself content with the knowledge that Izuku was happy once again.

- BREAK -

Midoriya Inko was catching up with her friend, Bakugo Mitsuki, going over all that had happened since Izuku's Quirk manifested one month ago. The two women were having tea, Mitsuki having brought over a small container full of homemade daifuku mochi when she arrived that afternoon.

"Who'da thought both our boys would be such Quirk fanatics at their age!" Mitsuki laughed loudly. "Katsuki spends so much of his time watching videos of Pro Heroes and practicing with his Quirk. The other day I even caught him jumping around with explosions from his hands! The crazy brat told me he was trying to fly using his Quirk!"

"Izuku's been reading up all he can on electrical devices," Inko commented, not bothering to keep the obvious note of pride out of her voice. "And he's been studying Quirks online in order find one similar to his own. To get ideas and inspiration, I think. To be honest, I'm a bit unsure how to help him with his new interests. I don't know how my son developed such a complex Quirk, but he really seems to enjoy all his research!"

Mitsuki grinned. "Man, your kid is smart Inko! Maybe you could look into getting him some special training or tuition or something, eh?"

Inko hummed thoughtfully as her friend paused to take a sip of tea. Izuku certainly seemed like he wanted to learn, but he was still such a young child. She was no technician or engineer, and electronics had to be high school level at least! There was no way he'd be able to learn about electronics when his age group was still being taught addition.

The sound of the apartment door closing drew both women's' attention, and it wasn't long before Izuku himself came rushing into the room. Her son came to a halt immediately upon seeing the smirking face of Bakugo Mitsuki.

"H – hello Auntie Mitsuki," Izuku said quickly, dropping into an awkward bow. "I'm sorry for interrupting! I must go do my homework, so p – please forgive my rudeness!" Her son made a mad dash towards his room in a bid for freedom, but Mitsuki quickly sprang up to corner him.

"Not so fast, kiddo!" Mitsuki laughed, steering an apprehensive looking Izuku towards the dining table. "Come and sit down with us. Your auntie's brought some delicious daifuku to share!"

"Hello, dear," Inko smiled. She pulled Izuku into her lap and leaned down to kiss his forehead, causing her son to blush furiously. "Now, why don't you relax and tell Mitsuki all about your amazing Quirk."

"Um, my Quirk's c – called Technopathy. I – I can use it to talk to technological stuff – anything that runs on electricity," Izuku stammered. Her poor son was beginning to sweat under Mitsuki's undivided attention. "I – I've been going to the library every day to learn more about electronics, but it's hard work. There's so many complicated drawings, weird letters and big words!"

"Do your best, Izuku-chan!" Mitsuki cheered, pushing the plate of mochi towards him. "Hey, why don't you try my soft, delicious mochi!" Izuku mumbled something in thanks as he timidly picked up a pair of chopsticks.

Inko watched in bemusement as her son hesitantly put a piece of daifuku mochi in his mouth, Mitsuki grinning with anticipation. "It's good," Izuku said with his mouth full, then choked when her friend suddenly snapped her fingers.

"Oh, I know! Why don't you show me how you use your Quirk!" Mitsuki said enthusiastically, rummaging around in her purse. Inko chuckled as she rubbed Izuku's back soothingly, long since used to her friend's effervescent personality. "Here, try using it on my phone!"

It took half a minute for Izuku to regain his composure, during which Mitsuki complained somewhat loudly over the price of her new smartphone. "M – mom said I'm not supposed to go into people's devices without permission," he stuttered. "I can't get in without the P – PIN or password anyway."

"Of course you have my permission!" Mitsuki laughed. "Here, let me unlock it for you. My PIN is one-four-three-seven, by the way," she winked, ruffling the hair of the embarrassed young boy

Izuku took a deep breath as an expression of ferocious concentration appeared on his little face. Mitsuki's phone cycled through several apps, including some kind of mobile lingerie store which made Izuku blush, before the internet browser was opened. Letters appeared erratically one by one in the address bar, almost exactly like a child prodding carefully at a keyboard. Except Izuku was still sitting in Inko's lap, with no physical contact between him and the phone. Both women waited patiently until finally an All Might fansite was loaded onto the screen.

"I – I did it!" said Izuku, sounding rather surprised at his success. "Mom!" he protested, wriggling in Inko's arms as she leaned down to press her lips against his forehead once again.

"Well done, Izuku-chan!" Mitsuki laughed. "Your Quirk is amazing, and I'm sure you'll get even better at it with practice!"

Izuku stammered his thanks, blushing so furiously he looked like an overripe tomato. Inko took pity on him, asking Mitsuki if she would like to help her refill the teapot so that her son could escape. Her friend smirked deliberately at Izuku, but allowed him to dash away as the two women rose from her seats.

- BREAK -

It was a few days before Izuku's seventh birthday, and Inko was out grocery shopping. She was looking for ingredients for her son's birthday meal at the local supermarket. Izuku was taking a nap at home, having exhausted himself during their regular half-year appointment with Dr Tsubasa. The young boy simply could not stop asking about Quirks and the science behind them.

Inko had expected the doctor to be irritated by her son's constant questioning; she herself sometimes found it draining to keep up with him. On the contrary however, Dr Tsubasa always seemed to be delighted by Izuku's insatiable curiosity. He'd even asked if Izuku would like to assist him with his Quirk studies. Her son had absolutely jumped at the chance of course, and Inko had promised to consider it.

An advertisement for pork caught her eye as she walked past the butcher section. Izuku had recently declared that he loved katsudon and wanted it for every meal, typical of young children of his age. Fresh pork would be great for tonkatsu, and Inko already had the rest of the ingredients at home. The butcher worked quickly and efficiently to package her chosen cut of meat, and she quickly made her way to the cashiers for payment.

Inko nearly dropped her basket as something bumped into her from behind. She turned to see an oddly familiar-looking salaryman carrying a sleeping little girl with one arm, his other hand struggling to control a trolley laden with groceries.

"Sorry," the well-groomed man apologized immediately. Inko was sure she recognized him from somewhere, especially with that particular shade of moss-green hair which the young girl – probably his daughter – also sported.

"It's no problem – Setsuo-kun?" Inko said slowly. She wasn't sure, but the man bore an uncanny resemblance to her cousin. He lived in Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island; Inko had not seen him since her grandfather's funeral many years ago.

Her suspicion was confirmed when his eyes widened in recognition. "Inko-chan? Is that you?" Setsuo asked in disbelief. "It's been, what, almost a decade since I last saw you! I thought you lived near Kashiwazaki?"

"We moved here to be closer to Yuuei High School," Inko told him happily. "My son, Izuku, completely idolizes All Might and aspires to become a Pro Hero just like him."

"Ah, I see," Setsuo nodded, careful to not disturb the sleeping girl on his shoulder. "I too have moved to Musutafu for Yuuei. This is my daughter, Setsuna, who also has the ambition to become a Pro Hero." There was no mistaking the affection in Setsuo's eyes as he gazed fondly down at his daughter. "Her favorite hero is Godzillo. You should see her room, it's filled with posters and action figures from all his old movies."

"Izuku is the same," Inko laughed. "Always begging me to buy more All Might merchandise for his collection. Speaking of Izuku, you should come over to meet him! Bring your family so we can get to know each other!" She hesitated. "Oh, my apologies, but are you and Sunako-chan – "

"We are no longer together," Setsuo confirmed with a sad little smile.

Inko nodded and left it at that. "Izuku's birthday is this Friday. Would you and your daughter like to come over for dinner then?"

"I would be delighted to, Inko-chan," Setsuo replied formally.

- BREAK -

Izuku scowled as he glared at the textbook his mother had bought him. Ohm's Law, impedance, capacitance – he hadn't realized that electrical circuits were so complicated. Worse, they all required math. And it all had to be high-school level at least! There was simply no way an elementary student like him could manage, yet he refused to give up. Especially after he'd begged his mother for special tuition so that he could better understand his Quirk.

He crossed out another line in his notebook, brushing a lock of green hair off the top of page as he tried to figure out where he'd gone wrong. It took a few seconds, but he realized he'd made a mistake in his multiplication. Izuku made his correction, absent-mindedly sweeping away another stray bit of hair with a hand before he suddenly froze.

His hair was short and untidy, nowhere near long enough to get in the way like this.

Izuku's head snapped up, his gaze meeting a pair of dark green eyes eerily similar to his own. It took a moment for his confused mind to process what he was seeing; it was a young girl of about the same age as him. Or rather it was her head, a disembodied, floating head hanging upside-down over his desk. Her hair hung down in messy green curls that were long enough to cover his notebook.

"Hi!" the head said cheerily, "I'm Setsuna! I'm your dual cousin! No wait, I'm your… number two cousin! I'll be in your care!" She grinned, exposing a mouth full of pointed teeth, and Izuku couldn't help noticing the gap in her smile where one of her fangs was missing. Being decapitated and upside-down didn't seem to bother her at all. Bother her head at all.

Izuku opened his mouth to speak, but faltered slightly under Setsuna's expectant smirk. "S – second cousin!" he stammered. "We – we're second cousins, Tokage-san. My mother told me she'd met you and your father last week."

Setsuna's head rotated in the air until it was the right way up. "What's the difference between a second cousin and a normal cousin?" she asked curiously.

"Our parents have the same grandparents, s – so they're first cousins," Izuku explained. "We're a step down from them, so you and I are second cousins, Tokage-san."

Setsuna scrunched her face up in thought. "A cousin is a cousin," she finally declared. "And you're my only cousin, so we can't be so formal with each other! Izuku, I command you to address me by my first name!" she ordered.

"Of – of course, Setsuna-san," Izuku bowed, trying to ignore his cousin's loud boo at the honorific. The girl was absolutely brimming with energy, which made him feel slightly nervous. "Setsuna-san, may I ask what you are doing in my room? N – not that I mind, of course, you are an excellent guest," he added hurriedly.

His cousin all but exploded with excitement, her levitating head doing a small loop around his head. "It's your birthday, so I'm here to celebrate with you!" she cheered. "Also, I wanted to check out your All Might collection. It's enormous!"

"Oh, I see." Izuku didn't know what to say. Neither Izuku nor his mother really celebrated their birthdays other than with a nice meal. In fact, the last person he'd had over for his birthday was Kacchan, back when they were both younger. He cringed slightly as Setsuna continued to unabashedly admire his All Might merchandise.

"Well, cousin? Aren't you going to ask me something?" Setsuna prodded, shaking Izuku out of his thoughts. Her head began spinning slowly on its axis, her eyes staring unblinkingly at him until he finally got the hint.

"Oh! Um, Setsuna-san, how are you doing that? Is this your Q – Quirk?"

"Yep, my amazing Quirk! I call it Lizard Tail Splitter!" Setsuna announced proudly. "I can detach my head and limbs from the rest of my body, and each part can fly around by itself! It's the best Quirk ever!"

"That's so cool!" Izuku's face lit up in excitement, matching Setsuna's wide grin with his own smile. "Where's the rest of your body? Is your Quirk limited to entire limbs? Can you detach your fingers and toes, too? Can you eat and drink with your head like that? Oh, you can obviously still speak and breath so there must be some connection to your body! How far away can you float your detached parts? Hang on, your floating is similar to my mother's Quirk! Telekinesis and pulling of small objects! Does that mean – "

"Hmm, detach my fingers and toes? I've never tried that before," Setsuna said thoughtfully, interrupting Izuku's torrent of mumbled words. She perked up in an instant. "Thank you for giving me ideas for my Quirk, cousin! As a reward, I'll show you my ultra-special, top-secret Super Move!" She posed dramatically in the air, or as dramatically as a floating head could, anyway. "Prepare to be destroyed by my Crocodile Claw Crush!"

There was an expectant silence before what could only be Setsuna's disembodied arm floated slowly through the open door. Her arm wobbled its way over to his desk, hovering unsteadily in the air for a moment before it swung down and tried to smack him on the head. Izuku easily dodged the clumsy blow, which caused Setsuna to squawk with indignation.

"That's not fair! You're not supposed to dodge my Super Move!" Setsuna protested. Izuku couldn't help laughing in response, then yelped as the fingers on her floating hand poked him in the ribs. He sprang up from his desk as he was chased around the room by her flailing arm, her floating head cackled as it orbited around him and cheering wildly each time she managed to land a hit on his body.

Izuku collapsed on his bed a few minutes later, breathing slightly harder from the exertion but grinning madly. Setsuna appeared to be just as worn out and happy, her head coming to a rest on his notebook while her arm flopped down onto his empty chair. It had been a while since Izuku had had fun like this, and he was glad his cousin was enjoying herself as well.

"So, cousin Izuku. What exactly is your Quirk?" Setsuna asked curiously once they'd both regained their breath.

"It – it's called Technopathy," Izuku informed her. "I can communicate with electronic devices within a certain range and in my line of sight. It's not a flashy Quirk, but I still think it's the best!"

Setsuna hummed, going cross-eyed as she peered at Izuku's open textbook. "Is that what all these rows of numbers and squiggly symbols are for, then? Wow, you must be really smart to know all this stuff!"

"Heh, I don't actually understand most of it," Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It's much too difficult for me, even though I'm trying so hard to learn. I want to understand electronics so I can use my Quirk better."

"You can do it, Izuku! Let's work hard on improving our Quirks together!" Setsuna cheered. "I've been training my levitation a lot for the past few months. Wanna see?"

Izuku nodded eagerly, getting off the bed and moving towards her. Setsuna smirked as her head rose steadily from the desk until it was at his eye level. "Prepare to be amazed!" she told him cheekily. Her head began rotating on its axis, her face still orientated towards Izuku, then started circling around him. Setsuna laughed crazily while her head spun, her hair becoming a tangled mess of green curls.

The rapid movement combined with the spinning of Setsuna's head was making Izuku dizzy. "Um, c – could you not do that, please," he stuttered. "I'm starting to feel giddy." His cousin came to a halt mid-spin, her head tilted at a strange angle.

"Do what?" she asked innocently. "Thiiiiiis?" Her head rotated a full three-hundred and sixty-fix degrees in the air, then started whizzing around so quickly that Izuku could barely keep up with her movements. She began laughing again, cackling madly as her head spun on its axis while orbiting him. Thankfully for Izuku, Setsuna was only capable of keeping this up for a few seconds before her head slowed down greatly and came to a stop.

"Urhgj," she blanched. "Okay, that was probably a bit too much."

Izuku couldn't help noticing that her face looked rather green. "Are – are you all right, Setsuna-san?" he asked nervously.

"Please take me to the bathroom, Izuku-kun. I don't feel so good," Setsuna said queasily. Her eyes widened and her tone suddenly became more urgent. "Quickly, Izuku-kun! I think I'm going to be sick!"

Izuku froze, panicking internally for an instant. A groan from Setsuna brought his mind back to the present, and he gently grabbed his cousin's unresisting head in his hands. Izuku dashed out of his now messy room, past his startled mother and a green-haired man who could only be Setsuna's father. He barely made it into the bathroom before Setsuna started throwing up into the toilet, followed a moment later by the two adults.

"Mom! Um, h – hello, Tokage-san! I'm sorry I haven't been out to greet you. Please forgive my rudeness," Izuku stammered. His apology was punctuated by the sound of Setsuna throwing up noisily once again.

"No apology necessary, Izuku-kun. It's nice to meet you too. Thank you for taking care of my unruly daughter," Setsuo bowed awkwardly, one arm holding on to the rest of Setsuna's body. "As for you, Tokage Setsuna! What have I told you about brazenly using your Quirk like this?" the man scolded.

Setsuna seemed to be quite miserable when she looked towards her father, and Setsuo's expression immediately softened. "Sorry Dad, guess I got a bit carried away," she chuckled weakly. Her head floated unsteadily upwards to reattach itself to her torso. The young girl buried her face in her father's chest, and her nausea seemed to ease as Setsuo gently rubbed his daughter's back with his free hand.

"Are you feeling alright, Setsuna-chan?" Inko asked anxiously. Izuku fiddled nervously with his hands as he came to stand beside her. "I've got some motion sickness medicine in the cabinet if you're still feeling ill."

"That would be very much appreciated," Setsuo thanked Izuku's mother profusely. "I hope you've learnt your lesson this time," he chided Setsuna, who looked rather embarrassed as she accepted several pills and a glass of water from Inko.

"Thank you, Inko-san," Setsuna said hoarsely, once she'd swallowed the medication. "I apologize for causing trouble and making a mess in your bathroom."

"It's all right, Setsuna-chan. Let's go back to the living area where we can all get to know one another," Inko smiled reassuringly.

Izuku dutifully lead the way back towards the living area, followed by Setsuo carrying an embarrassed Setsuna. His mother started to follow, but suddenly came to a halt as they left the bathroom. "Excuse me, Setsuna-chan, but aren't you forgetting something?" Inko asked.

It took a moment for Setsuna to realize that her arm was still missing. "Oh! Cousin Izuku, do you mind helping me go get my arm from your room?" she asked sheepishly.

- BREAK -

Izuku formally introduced himself to his mother's cousin once they were all settled down. Setsuo was well-spoken and exceedingly courteous, with a calm, conservative demeanor that contrasted greatly with that of his daughter. The tall man worked as a trauma surgeon at Musutafu General Hospital.

"My Quirk gives me telekinetic control of my body," Setsuo explained. "I can use it to augment my strength by reinforcing the movement of my muscles, but that's not very valuable in my line of work. Instead, I use it to move my hand without using any muscles, which gives me an incredible level of fine motor control. This greatly improves my precision with a scalpel and other essential surgical tools."

Izuku listened intently, wide-eyed with awe. He was full of admiration at the ingenious way in which Setsuo used his Quirk. Setsuna giggled from beside him, leaning over to whisper quietly. "My dad's awesome, right?"

He found himself drawn into conversation with Setsuna as the adults talked, slowly becoming more used to her boundless enthusiasm and infectious energy. The girl insisted on helping him and his mother with dinner, although Setsuna mostly just got in the way until she was finally recalled by her father. The katsudon was delicious, and they finished with a small cake that Setsuo had brought over for dessert. Both children were rather tired and sleepy by the time Inko cleared the table. Setsuna dozed quietly at her father's side, while Izuku was just awake enough to listen drowsily to the adult's conversation.

"I'm often not at home in the evenings due to the nature of my work," Izuku heard Setsuo say. "Would it be possible for you to look after my daughter during these periods?"

"Sure, I'd be delighted to have little Setsuna-chan around," Inko replied, "I'm sure Izuku would enjoy her company as well."

"I'll contact you to confirm the details soon then, and pass you the money I'd normally use for a nanny – I insist," Setsuo said firmly, cutting off Inko's protests. Setsuna chose that moment to mumble something in her sleep, and the two adults chuckled. "I believe it's time for us to head home, Inko. Thank you for your hospitality."

"It was my pleasure, Setsuo. Please feel free to drop by any time you're in the area."

The sound of the front door closing briefly woke Izuku up from his slumber, and he allowed himself to be led into his room. His mother gently changed him into his pajamas before carrying him to his bed, leaving him with a soft kiss to the forehead. Izuku drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the smell of incense along with endless plains of red sand.

- END -

A/N: I've never actually read or watched BNHA; this story is written for a friend o7. I've taken most of my information from the wiki and various fanfictions, so please let me know if I've made a mistake somewhere.

Japanese idioms will likely be represented in English (e.g ganbatte, ka-san), but honorifics will remain. Basically whatever I feel is better for the writing, really.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.